CadSoft EAGLE

CadSoft EAGLE is proprietary EDA (electronic design automation) software for editing circuit schematics, PCB layouts and component libraries. It is available for Windows, Linux and OS X. EAGLE is quirky and unintuitive, but very widely supported and stable.

Editions
The Light edition can be used for free, for non-profit or evaluation. This is limited to boards of 100 x 80 mm (4 x 3.2 inches), only top and bottom signal layers, and the schematic editor can only create one sheet. It can however Load, view and print drawings that exceed these limits.

For a single user doing non-commercial editing of e.g. the most commonly used Eurocard size, would require the Hobbyist edition, which costs €140. This allows boards of 100 x 160 mm (4 x 6.4 inches), up to 99 sheets and up to 6 signal layers. For commercial use, with the same limitations the Standard edition costs €690.

Edit features
With almost identical user interfaces EAGLE provides a schematic editor, a layout editor, and library editor.

Compatibility
EAGLE exports Gerber files.

In 2009 CadSoft Computer GmbH, developer of EAGLE was aqquired by Premier Farnell. Since version 5.11 EAGLE connects to the components database from Premier Farnell (also known as Farnell, Newark, element14), allowing immediate access to component information from within the design environment.

Version control
All version control systems (VCS), such as Git can handle text and binary files but binary ones cannot be merged. As of version 6 Eagle data structures use text based XML, this makes version control much easier. Eagle has a layer for comments and notes and for each layer if required.

Rants

 * Eagle is horrible software, EEVblog forum, Mar. 2014
 * Eagle is beautiful software, EEVblog forum, Mar. 2015

Eagle format SDIY files
Some useful examples, not a comprehensive list.
 * Befaco - a few at github.com/Befaco otherwise at befaco.org
 * Music Thing Modular - at musicthing.co.uk and github.com/TomWhitwell
 * Mutable Instruments - at github.com/pichenettes
 * Rebel Technology - at github.com/pingdynasty

Libraries

 * Catch-all repo for eagle libraries useful for EuroRack modular synthesizers
 * SDIY component library, components moved to nearest 0.01" on grid
 * gaussmarkov: diy fx &raquo; Eagle 2: Libraries, the common components used by diy guitar pedal builders, grouping components by type
 * Music Thing Modular Eagle Parts Library